University Center, MI. – The Parkside Rangers clinched their fifth consecutive victory, taking down the Saginaw Valley State Cardinals 72-60. Despite a slow start that resulted in a nine-point first-quarter deficit, the Rangers picked up the slack, battled back, and cruised to another road victory. Parkside improves to 10-3 overall and 5-1 in conference play.

Inside the box score:

• Kendal Zeiter scored another season-high, notching a 14-point performance. Zeiter went 10-10 from the free throw line, while ripping down seven rebounds. 

• Sheridan Flauger (13) and Cassidy Arni (11) joined Zeiter in double figures. Flauger added five rebounds and four assists, and Arni corralled a team-high eight rebounds, and three assists.

• Chloe Van Zeeland had another productive game, coming through with timely makes down the stretch. She scored nine points and grabbed seven rebounds.

How it happened:
Parkside struggled in the first quarter of the game, not connecting on their first field goal for six and a half minutes of basketball. Due to these struggles, Parkside went into the second quarter trailing 18-9. However, when the quarter flipped, so did the Rangers' mindset, as they began the second quarter on a 16-2 run over the first seven minutes. Kaalyn Petersen began the scoring for Parkside, and Peighton Nelson followed with another two-point make shortly afterward. Chloe Van Zeeland continued to sway the momentum, connecting on a triple to pull Parkside within four.

Two minutes later, Kendal Zeiter went two-for-two at the line, tying the game at 20. This was the first tied score since the tip, and Parkside quickly took their first lead on a Cassidy Arni driving layup. The team recovered from a rough first quarter by outscoring Saginaw Valley State 19-9, shooting 50% from the field. At the time, Parkside had four players with five or more points. They took a slim 28-27 lead into the halftime break.

Parkside's biggest quarter came in the third. As a team, they shot 62% from the field and continued their scoring rampage, netting a game-high 23 points in the quarter alone. After not scoring in the first half, Sheridan Flauger scored five quick points to get herself on the board, including a three-point make. She would score later in the quarter again, finishing with seven points in the third. With two and a half minutes to play in the quarter, Jaelyn Derlein nailed a triple, stretching the Parkside lead to double digits for the first time. Following a Kendal Zeiter make inside, Parkside carried a comfortable 12-point lead into the final quarter.

Flauger kept her big second half going in the fourth quarter, drilling another three-pointer. Flauger's triple extended Parkside's lead to a game-high 20 points. However, Parkside went cold in the final five minutes but still hung on for the victory. Their ninth road win of the season already matches their total from the 2022-23 season, as they improve to 9-1 in road games. Parkside remains one game out of first place in the GLIAC.

Next:
The Parkside Rangers will return home to De Simone Arena for two more conference games. They will begin Thursday night against previously top-25-ranked Ferris State, fresh off a trip to the Final Four last season. The weekend concludes on Saturday against Lake Superior State. To keep up with the action, visit ParksideRangers.com/coverage.